Bell-bottoms, Disco, and Nixon: The 1970s

Bell-bottoms, Disco, and Nixon: The 1970s

The 1970s was a time of change in our history. From Sensurround, which shook the theatres in the movie Earthquake, to Watergate, that shook our country and the nation's capital. A time of change was in the air! Archie Bunker of television's All in the Family, proved that father didn't always know best. If you were Staying Alive, but had "Bad Blood" or "Boogie Fever", it didn't mean that you were necessarily sick and had to call in a doctor. When a little boy named Mikey proved to his brothers that he like eating a bowl of cereal, (which created a classic commercial), well then, it just had to be good to eat, right?

These were the Happy Days and Good Times, when three was company! We were introduced to a space alien, played by Robin Williams named Mork, and his Earth friend, Mindy. Lava Lamps, Pet Rocks, and people eating melted cheese out of avocado, gold, or brown-colored fondue pots were all the rave.  It was a time where the song “Convoy,” about truck drivers speaking over Citizens Band Radios flew to number one on the music charts. The song became so popular that even First Lady Betty Ford joined in on the fun! 

Historian, Jim Gibbons, will present life in the 1970s. Change is what the 1970s offered with styles such as bell-bottom trousers, wide ties, flowered shirts, leisure suits, afro hairdos, and patent leather shoes. We also had presidential changes in the oval office from Nixon to Ford, and then to Carter. The 70s began with Chicago’s Mayor Richard J. Daley and ended with Mayor Jane Byrne. Gibbons will show you how our ideas have been changed due to Watergate and Vietnam. From disco dancing to "Disco Duck"-ing, the 1970s will always be remembered as a time in history that shaped a different world for the future!